Authority searching mobile phones in Maungdaw

Posted on 13/02/2014

By KPN

February 12, 2014

Maungdaw, Arakan State: Maungdaw high level officers ordered to village admin officers to list all mobile phones which was issued by Myanmar Post and Telegram department (MPT), said Haroon, a student from Maungdaw.

The ordered was issued after visiting of Arakan State chief minister visited Maungdaw to see the ground situation of Du Chee Ya tan ( Kila Dong) village , Maungdaw south, Haroon more added.

The GSM mobile SIM cards were issued by the authority to the people and now the authority collecting the list of mobile in the villages – only Rohingya villages- to harass the Rohingya and the gateway to extort money with false allegation, said Hamid, a school teacher from Maungdaw.

The authority will impose or tract Rohingya who are using the MPT mobiles to control the flow of information through the mobile network –like recent violent attacked on Kila Dong Rohingya villagers by security forces and Mogh from Kharay mine Natala village, Hamid more added.

International community pressured the Burmese government with the information which the villagers informed through their mobile network to media and other concern rights groups. So, the Maungdaw authority are trying to control Rohingya MPT mobile holders not to send information to media and others.

“It may be imposed the Rohingya not to use the mobiles or to harass or to extort money from with this allegation,” said Halim, the Human Rights Watchdog from Maungdaw.

The MPT mobiles are sold by authority which was legal to use by the people, but the authority is now trying to control the use of mobile within the Rohingya community which will cut the Rohingya from the world, the watchdog said.